【024】Repercussions

【Hayama Takehiko】

…Something’s wrong.

It’s been a week now. I haven’t seen Inoue in a whole week.

“Chief Hayama, you should really get some rest—”

“How can I rest!?”

“Eek!”

I even snapped at my junior’s words. Not like me at all. Pathetic.

“…Sorry.”

“No, …I’m the one who should apologize. I said something thoughtless…”

My junior said this and left.

I held my head in my hands at my desk.

We had almost no leads on Inoue’s whereabouts.

The worst scenarios kept coming to mind.

Inoue was pursuing the Tanaka Akio murder case. She probably found something she didn’t tell me about. And then the culprit—

Don’t think. Don’t let personal feelings interfere.

Right now, I need to focus on identifying the culprit…!!

I looked at the desk next to mine.

Scattered documents everywhere. Inoue’s desk.

I decided to search through Inoue’s desk. The documents were all about the Tanaka Akio murder case.

“…This is an internet forum?”

Looking at the comment section, it must be Akigaoka’s underground school website. The content was pretty terrible. “Teacher XX is annoying,” “Let’s ignore XX-chan.” People’s malice written directly.

Especially bad was the concentrated slander directed at one particular student.

Named T. …That must be Tamura Misaki, right?

He’s been rumored to be the culprit of both the previous groping incident and the Tanaka Akio murder case.

…Wait a minute.

Inoue said a student might be the culprit.

Could it be this guy…?

I rummaged through Inoue’s desk further.

I need some kind of proof.

What were you doing?

Who were you looking for?

What did you find out?

Inoue—!!

“…Found it.”

It was Inoue’s notebook.

She was a memo fanatic who took notes about even trivial things. There must be something written here.

I opened the notebook.

□ Inoue Reina’s Notebook p.34

Groping incident and Tanaka Akio murder case
Connection: Yes
Framing Tamura as the culprit?
Train, groping incident, underground school website
Satou Akane ✕
Tamura Misaki ✕
Nishida Kouhei ✕
Takahashi Mika ?
Nakano Nanaka ?
Takahashi or Nakano—which one?

There’s a mastermind behind everything
I won’t forgive them. I’ll definitely arrest them!

【Takahashi Mika】

Nana has changed. She’s changed completely.

She always had a mature atmosphere, but now there’s added sensuality.

I think that’s what it means.

“Hey, Mika.”

“…Mm? What?”

“Has something happened lately?”

After school, Nana stopped me.

I flinched at that question. Nana asked with a somewhat worried look. I wish she wouldn’t look at me like that.

“Something? Like what?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. You’ve seemed a little off lately.”

Of course I’m off.

But Nana’s response right now is no different from a friend worried about her best friend.

“…No. It’s nothing.”

“Really? That’s good then…”

“Sorry for worrying you. I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

I said that and parted with Nana.

How long am I going to keep pretending not to notice? I hate myself for being suspicious too. I can’t suspect my best friend. I don’t want to.

Does Nana realize I might have caught on?

I thought it was terrifying.

Whatever lurked beneath that perfect beauty was genuinely frightening.

I should just pretend not to notice.

Even when Tamura was falsely accused in the groping incident, I knew he wasn’t the culprit. And I ignored it. I didn’t go against the atmosphere, just followed the flow. It’s the same thing.

There are things better left unknown. Things you shouldn’t know.

I don’t need to know.

Isn’t that fine?

“Are you Takahashi Mika-san?”

Someone called out to me. A memory from before resurfaced. That person like a hero of justice.

The voice wasn’t a woman’s.

A man’s, slightly low voice.

“You are…”

I recognized him.

A man around thirty. That’s right, the detective who was with Inoue-san before.

“I’m Hayama. Could I speak with you for a moment?”

“…I already talked to Inoue-san.”

At my words, Hayama-san’s eyes widened slightly. As if he’d just learned that fact.

“Then all the more reason. I have a car parked. Can you come with me?”

“Huh, a car…?”

“It’s an important conversation.”

Being alone with a grown man in the enclosed space of a car felt uncomfortable, even in an emergency.

Still, Hayama-san bowed his head to me.

“Please.”

“…Understood.”

◇

The inside of the car was a mess.

Even though it should have been the same car as before, it felt like I was in a completely different vehicle.

“The Tanaka Akio murder case…”

Hayama-san muttered.

“The groping incident that happened before. These two incidents… you know about them, don’t you, Takahashi-san?”

“…Yes. …Um…”

“?”

I’d been wondering since I was called out. Why isn’t Inoue-san here? I thought she’d be waiting in the car, but that wasn’t the case.

“Where’s Inoue-san?”

At my question, Hayama-san looked down.

“…I see.”

He seemed to understand something.

Hayama-san looked at me again.

“Inoue met with you before, didn’t she?”

“Y-yes. Well.”

“Inoue is currently missing.”

“—!?”

Missing…?

Which means…

Ah, I see. So that’s what it is.

I looked down.

“Takahashi Mika-san. You know something about this case, don’t you?”

“…”

Inoue-san and I had met.

At that time, Inoue-san realized it.

That Nana was the culprit.

And then she went to meet Nana—

“I was in love with Inoue Reina.”

“—Huh?”

“It’s completely personal feelings. I think she probably liked me too. I don’t really know for sure, and it might just be an old man’s delusion. …It’s just so frustrating.”

Hayama-san laughed weakly.

“I kind of realized it too. She’s the type to rush ahead immediately, so getting caught up in things was par for the course. I just want to finish what she couldn’t do.”

Hayama-san said this and pulled out a notebook from his pocket.

“It’s Inoue’s. At the end of this memo, your name and one other person’s were listed. Her deductions were always right. I can tell from your reaction. That’s how it is, isn’t it?”

Hayama-san bowed his head.

“I know it’s shameful. Please, lend me your strength.”

Saying I should just pretend not to notice was a lie.

The burden will remain inside me forever.

Am I supposed to carry that for the rest of my life?

I can’t. I can’t do it.

I can’t become a hero of justice like Inoue-san.

I can’t.

But I can’t turn away.

“…I know.”

I said it.

“My best friend—Nakano Nanaka is the culprit, I think.”